It has been argued that religious studies is a polymethodic discipline and that the student of religion should be familiar with the approaches of other major disciplines concerned with understanding the nature of religion. This volume is designed for undergraduate students to provide background material on methods of such relevant disciplines. It presents each of the significant approaches to the study of religion and brings together researchers representing a number of these major disciplines. The book has a consistent format: each discussion deals with the same themes, exploring the historical development of the approach, the characteristics of the approach, and the issues and debates arising from it.